Vapor-lamp



W. H, RACEY.

Vapor Bur ner.

No. 20,729. Patented June 29,1858,

N. PEYERS. Phulo-Lilhognpher. Washington. D c.

UNITED STATS PATENT TTTcn.

W. H. RACEY, OF ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA.

VAPOR-LAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 20,729, dated June 29, 18 58.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, W. H. RACEY, of St. Augustine, in the county of St. Johns and State of Florida, have invented a new and Improved Lamp; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1, is a vertical central section of a lamp constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2, is an external view of ditto.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

This invention consists in burning, for illuminating purposes, coal oil and other substances that are rich in carbon, by means of an auxiliary or gas-generating flame in connection with a tube and burner arranged as hereinafter fully shown and described.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention I will proceed to describe it.

A, represents the body of the lamp or fountain in which the material to be burned is placed.

B, is a wick tube which is inserted in a stopper G, constructed of wood or other non-conducting material, said stopper being fitted in the apex of the fountain A, see Fig. 1. The stopper 0, is surmounted by a metal cap D, which is hollow and provided with slots or perforations to allow the air to pass through and keep it in a cool state. The cap D, is not in contact with the fountain at any point, the design is to insulate as far as possible the wick tube from the fountain.

E, is a deflector which is placed on the wick tube B. This deflector is of circular form and its upper surface is concave. The wick F, shown in red, is raised and lowered by a small wheel (4*, having a serrated edge and fitted in a slot in the wick tube, the wheel being fitted on an axis a, which passes through the cap D. The wick tube B, is made of slightly conical form to admit of the easy movement of the wick.

G, is a case which as well as the fountain A, may be constructed or "spun out of sheet metal. This case is of conical or an approximate form and extends some dis tance above the fountain A. The lower end of the case G, is connected by a hinge or joint 5, to the fountain A, and it is secured to the fountain by proper catches c. The

case Gr, does not extend down to the bottom of the fountain nor does it touch its side, a space (Z, being allowed all around as shown clearly in Fig. 1. The case G, has an aperture 6, made in it opposite the wick tube of the fountain A, and in the upper end of the case G, a rim f, is fitted, said rim being provided with radial arms 9, the inner end of which have a small concentric rim h, attached. To the smaller rim h, the upper end of atube H, is secured. This tube has its lower part perforated and it extends down nearly to the top of the wick tube B, or the tube H, may be made adjustable so that it may be raised or lowered at any desired height.

The case G, is encompassed by a case I, precisely similar in form to the case G, and allowed to turn freely on it. The case I, is provided with a handle J, and also has an aperture 2', made in it.

On the upper end of the tube H, a burner K, is fitted. This burner may be formed of a flattened tube or constructed in any way so that an oblong narrow orifice j, will be obtained.

L, is a cap, the lower end of which is fitted over the upper end of the case G. This cap incloses the burner K, and has an oblong slot 72, made in its upper end.

The operation is as follows :The fountain A, is supplied with the material to be burned, the cases G, and I, being turned over so as to expose the fountain A. The wick F, is then lighted the cases G and I, moved back and an imperfect combustion is produced owing to a lack of oxygen, the deflector E, serving to deflect the air from the flame. This flame however, designated by F, is solely a gas-generator and the design is to restrict the supply of oxygen thereto, to such a degree that quite a limited combustion is produced and hydro-carbon gas eliminated thereby, said gas escaping upward within the tube H, and issuing from the orifice j, is ignited and an illuminating flame M, produced. This flame M, is sup plied with the necessary amount of oxygen by means of a draft induced by the case G, the air in the upper part of which is rarefied by the heat from flames M, and F, and the air is deflected into the flame by the cap L, the upper part of which is of curved form, see Fig. 1.

When the wick F requires to be trimmed the external case I, is turned so that the two apertures e i, will register and thereby render the wick accessible. When the lamp is in operation the external case is turned so that said apertures will be out of register and consequently closed.

I would remark that the cases G, and I, are not essential to the operation of the lamp. Other devices may be used for producing a draft to supply the flame with a requisite amount of oxygen, although perhaps the cases herein described may be preferable, as by their use the ordinary glass chimney is dispensed with. These parts however, viz, the cases and cap form the subject of a separate application for Letters Patent.

By this mode of burning fluids for illuminating purposes the flame may be regulated with great nicety, and a steady brilliant flame obtained, closely resembling the carburetted hydrogen gas of the manufactories.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

The employment or use of a tube H, and burner K, arranged with a lamp orfountain as shown, or in any way, so that the flame which is fed direct from the burning material within the fountain, may serve as a gasgenerator to supply the illuminating flame M, that issues from burner K, and this I claim irrespective of any particular means which may be employed for supplying the illuminating flame with oxygen.

WILLIAM H. RAGEY.

Witnesses W. TUsoH, W. HAUFF. 

